TennZip

Top Drawer reports that the zips are adding a freshman forward from Canada Remi Agunbiade from Vaughn SC https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-articles/2024-mens-division-i-international-signees_aid52747

Amazing longevity in MLS for some all time great zips... I believe that the 2024 season will be Wil Trapp's 12th year in MLS. Wil's Minnesota United team mate, Zarek Valentin.....will begin his 14th year in professional soccer in 2024. I believe that Zarek played 3 years in a Norway professional league. I believe that this will be Zarek's 11th year in MLS. I think that Nashville's Teal Bunbury started his MLS career in 2010....so 2024 should be his 15th year in the league. The spectacular Darlington Nagbe will be starting his 14th year in MLS in the 2024 season. I believe that Evan Bush had to play a few years in either USL league one or the NASL before he debuted in MLS. I believe that he first signed with an MLS team in late 2011. Scott Caldwell joined MLS at the same time as Wil Trapp......so Goal scorer Scotty also had more than 10 years in MLS. The speedy Jonathan Lewis is only 26 years old but the 2024 season will be JLew's 8th year in MLS. The great Richmond Laryea (better known as Richie)......will start his 9th year in professional soccer in 2024. I believe that Perry Kitchen....played 11 years of pro soccer....8 in MLS....and 3 in Scottish or Danish Leagues. and of course, when you talk about the all time greats.....that have played in multiple leagues.....including.....the English Premier League, MLS and the highest level Turkish league....we must talk about DeAndre Yedlin DeAndre started his career in 2013...so 2024...will be his 12th year in the highest levels of professional soccer. Of course, DeAndre has also played in multiple world cups for USA. I believe that DeA has more than 80 caps with USMNT. Soccer is a tough, physical game.....great credit to so many former zips......for having careers.....lasting well past a decade in pro soccer. I don't hear much about Joao Moutinho since he moved to the Italian Leagues....but Joao has been playing in MLS or Italy since 2018. fknbuflobo.....will give me grief...if I don't mention Aodhan Quinn. Aodhan Quinn (in my humble opinion) has been good enough to play in MLS. 2024 will be Aodhan's 11th year of being a truly great, dominating player in USL.

https://www.revolutionsoccer.net/news/porter-would-love-nothing-more-than-an-mls-cup-parade-in-boston

I hope that Joel Sangwa can catch on with an MLS team. There were 87 players drafted and Joel was not drafted. There are not 87 players that are better than Joel. Zips had 3 underclassmen drafted in the 2nd round. All of them have the option to come back to school.....or to pursue their pro teams.

so much for mock draft accuracy !!!....24 picks and no zips have been selected... Lipscomb University had the #1 overall pick and the #8 overall pick.

the mock draft has Joel Sangwa being drafted by the New England Revolution New England could soon have a new head coach https://sports.yahoo.com/reports-former-columbus-crew-coach-032224328.html

This article predicts that the zips will have 3 players drafted in the first round. Shooky at 6 Joel at 20 Malik at 27 https://www.mlssoccer.com/superdraft/news/mls-mock-superdraft-2024-predicting-who-teams-pick-in-round-1 By my count, Indiana and Akron are the only schools with 3 players in the first round.

great finds on Miami GK and on Simon... 2 articles on Simon https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-sports/guelphs-simon-guardiero-has-eyes-set-on-the-world-soccer-stage-5948352 in the 2nd article, fall 2023 Zip Daniel Firek is mentioned in the article as well as Simon https://forgefc.canpl.ca/article/forge-fc-sign-three-canadians-to-development-contracts

https://myfox28columbus.com/sports/columbus-crew-sc/im-proud-to-be-a-part-of-this-team-nagbe-making-club-and-league-history-columbus-crew-lafc-mls-cup-champions-soccer-professional

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/39079152/nagbe-morris-instrumental-columbus-crews-mls-cup-win There was admiration from opponents too. LAFC and former Italy international Chiellini, who knows a thing or two about quality attacking players, had nothing but positive things to say about Darlington Nagbe. "He's an example for everyone and every player that he played with," Chiellini said. "And watching the games of Columbus, you can understand how much he's important as a player, but as a good leader, and he has a good value. He's a hard worker, very generous, and then helps all the teammates close to him to play better. [He's] not in the shine many times but I think he is a really the heart of this team."

I am just copying a small portion of the glowing words that they write about the GOAT https://www.goal.com/en-us/lists/darlington-nagbe-cucho-hernandez-columbus-crew-lafc-mls-cup/blt9698775b430b1e73 Name your all-time MLS greats: Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, Sebstian Giovinco, Diego Valeri, Jaime Moreno... whoever. No matter what generation you're from, what era of MLS made you fall in love with the game, you have to include Nagbe among any list discussing the best this league has ever seen.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/columbus-crew-player-ratings-cucho-nagbe-achieve-mls-cup-greatness player ratings.....an 8.5 rating for the incredible Darlington Nagbe Columbus' captain hardly put a foot wrong during his 84 minutes on the pitch, completing 52 of 54 passes and setting the tempo. One of MLS' greatest-ever orchestrators, Nagbe looked exceedingly comfortable with the ball at his feet and gave LAFC's midfield a miserable time.

another well deserved honor for Jason Shokalook First team All East Region tomorrow, they will announce the 15 semifinalists for the Hermann Trophy

The MLS release is incorrect....as it lists Jason Shokalook as a senior. Shooky was not honored on senior night this past year. The UA news release is correct as Shooky is correctly listed as a junior. However, it definitely appears that Shooky is focused next on professional soccer. last weekend, a well respected Junior and college soccer expert reported that Shooky was in Sweden last weekend trying out (on trial) with a professional soccer team near Goteborg, Sweden Good Wishes to Joel and Shooky at the MLS College Showcase over the next 4 days. It is always good when zips are doing well in MLS. Thank you to both Joel and Shooky for your excellent play and effort during your time as zips.

Official news release from Akron soccer

Sophomores and Juniors can be drafted this year. Draft is scheduled for December 19th. https://www.mlssoccer.com/superdraft/news/2023-adidas-mls-college-showcase-to-feature-44-top-college-prospects

I really want to thank Akron Zips women's soccer....for publicizing all of their new recruits that signed on signing day (November 8th) Publicizing the signees...is a great way to keep the fan base interested during the off season I believe that this is another new signee...that we have not seen.... Elisabeth Rupp plays for the Minnesota Thunder in the prestigious ECNL. The 2nd link says that Ms. Rupp started every game in her 4 year high school career for Eden Prairie, MN. https://www.instagram.com/p/CzZi80FPvAN/ https://www.newsbreak.com/eden-prairie-mn/3155668800743-ep-soccer-captains-have-talent-experience Rupp, who has started every game during her four-year varsity career, has more options to move up into the play in her senior year. Always a force on offense with her throw-ins and corner kicks, she is making more runs from the back this season. “It is fun to get up in the field this year,” she said. But Rupp’s first priority is still defense. “We know how to shut them down,” she said.

I believe that this is a new 2024 recruit...that we do not know about.... club team in FC Alliance in the ECNL played high school ball for Webb School in Knoxville, TN the 2nd link below...showed that the zip recruit had 13 goals and 2 assists in games played thru September 20 of this year https://www.instagram.com/p/CzhGtz3pw0G/ https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/high-school/2023/09/20/tennessee-high-school-girls-soccer-knoxville-2023-tssaa-season-top-players-midseason/70877826007/ Eesha Sutharshan, Knoxville Webb: Sutharshan, an Akron commit, has 13 goals and two assists. 3rd link shows that Eesha was selected to the All Region team https://www.chattanoogan.com/2023/10/25/477159/Division-II-AA-East-All-Region-Soccer.aspx Eesha was also invited to play in The Tennessee all star soccer game. You can see from Eesha's tweet below that she had a goal an assist in the all star game Eesha's tweet I had a great time at the TACA All-Star Senior Game! My East team won 6-1, and I had a goal and assist! Thank you for the opportunity.

yes, Joshua Bartels shows as a 23 recruit.....I hope that the zips play a strong spring schedule so that Joshua Bartels, Caleb Borneo, Nathan Ferguson....can see some excellent competition in the spring.

this is the goalkeeper that was written up in the Cleveland newspaper this morning

credit to Women's soccer.....for doing a twitter announcement on the signing.. photo attached

It appears that the lady Zips have a signing from Internationals SC Kailyn Biecker https://www.instagram.com/p/Czq21K0LxEC/?hl=en&img_index=6 Below is an article from a Wadsworth publication about Kailyn Biecker https://wadsworthbruin.com/13694/sports/kailyn-biecker-navigates-life-as-a-three-sport-athlete/

another video announcement.... Addison Lambert - class of 2024 https://www.instagram.com/p/CttnEM-vwe4/?hl=en